Vaping for just one year left me with herpes-like condition that made it too sore to eat or drink

Vaping left a young woman with bloody and crusty mouth sores that doctors believed were caused by herpes.

The 22-year-old from Indonesia went to doctors complaining of sores in and around her mouth that were so painful that she could no longer eat or drink.

The doctors tested the patient for herpes, but her results were negative.

After questioning her about lifestyle changes, it was revealed that she had started using e-cigarettes about a year before her symptoms flared.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

The 22-year-old woman had been vaping several times a week for the past year when she developed sores in and around her mouth (stock photo)

Doctors were finally able to diagnose her with oral erythema multiforme, a type of skin condition similar to an allergic reaction that rarely occurs in and around the mouth.

The academics, who revealed the case in a US medical journal, said it was likely ‘vape-related’.

They pointed out that erythema multiforme can be caused by certain substances in e-cigarettes, such as propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, flavors or other toxins.

Erythema multiforme affects about 200,000 people in the US each year – usually caused by an infection such as herpes or bacterial or fungal infections.

Symptoms include pink and red skin and mouth lesions that can sometimes be itchy or painful, as well as joint pain, fever and itching.

The condition can occur anywhere in the body and is rarely limited to the mouth.

Minor cases of the skin condition may clear up on their own, while more involved cases may need to be treated with steroids, allergy medications, antiseptics, or antivirals, depending on the cause.

In extreme cases, hospitalization may be necessary if the patient is unable to eat, is in extreme pain, or is severely dehydrated. Doctors may also apply cool compresses and administer antibiotics.

The woman visited doctors at the Oral Medicine Department of the University of Indonesia and complained of mouth sores and pain for the past month. She had difficulty eating because of the sores and pimples in and around her lips and mouth.

Doctors observed ulcers on the inside of her cheeks, tongue, palate and floor of her mouth and lips, with crusts and an ‘erosive’ area near the corner of her mouth that was bleeding.

Above are photos from the patient’s case report showing her condition when she first visited the doctors

The patient told doctors she had been using vaping devices for about a year but had never experienced a problem.

Shortly before her symptoms started, the woman, who had never smoked traditional cigarettes, switched to vaping liquids to try a different flavor.

She told doctors she started vaping “out of curiosity” and smoked e-cigarettes a few times a day with friends.

The patient’s case was considered a ‘mild’ form of erythema multiforme and she was given a steroid mouthwash, as well as a solution to moisten gauze and apply to her lips three times a day.

She was also sent home with a cream to apply to the eroding wound area on the side of her mouth and was instructed to apply Vaseline to her dry lips throughout the day.

Doctors also stressed that she should stop vaping.

Within just one week, the patient showed tremendous improvement.

Vaping has been linked to a number of health side effects, including mouth and throat irritation, eye irritation, shortness of breath, fatigue and lung cancer.

It is estimated that nearly 31 million Americans vape or use electronic cigarettes, including 2 million high school students.

Advertised as a safer alternative and smoking cessation aid to traditional cigarettes, the vaping industry has come under fire for its marketing targeting young children and the lack of long-term data on how the devices affect people’s health.

Vaping is becoming such a public health problem in the U.S. that the Justice Department and the FDA this week created a task force to combat the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes and vaping products.

Officials and critics say the unregulated vaping products, with their colorful packaging and fruity or candy-like flavors, are intentionally designed and marketed to children.

Acting Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said these products “endanger” the health of children and adolescents in the U.S. and that the task force “will be dedicated to protecting Americans by combating their illegal distribution.”

Officials added that the group will include multiple government agencies that oversee weapons, drugs, the US Postal Service and the Marshal Service to coordinate efforts to investigate and prosecute criminal and civil crimes.